Japan in vitro fertilizations hit record 393,000-plus procedures in 2014

Some 393,745 in vitro fertilization procedures were carried out at medical facilities across Japan in 2014, resulting in 47,322 live births -- record highs in both the number of cases and babies born -- Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (JSOG) statistics show.

A little over 1 million children were born in 2014 in Japan, meaning that one in approximately every 21 children born were the result of in vitro fertilization.

According to the data, the number of in vitro fertilization cases in 2014 went up by approximately 25,000 from the previous year, and the number of children born as a result of such procedures also went up by about 4,700. A major factor in this rise is believed to be the trend of people getting married later in life, increasing the number of women who have trouble getting pregnant.

Compared to 2005, the cases of in vitro fertilization in 2014 surged 3.1-fold, and the number of births 2.5-fold. The total number of children born as a result of in vitro fertilization is now 431,626, surpassing the 400,000 mark for the first time. About half of these children were born through embryo-freezing technology.

Japan has the greatest number of in vitro fertilization procedures in the world.